THE CULL

We all have that ability to hoard with our clothing in general but especially so with vintage. Vintage is collectable and like I have said in the hunt, the excitement of finding that one item is an emotion shared by all that indulge. Whether you are a follower of a certain style era or purely an eclectic hoarder the ability for it to get out of control is real.

Vintage fashion is so vast with such a huge genre to choose from and when you get into textiles too the pit is bottomless. So how do we keep an even keel on this? The majority of other retailers I know went into the business to feed their passion. Using their sourcing skills to make a living selling vintage and providing a service for those who prefer not to hunt. But what about the people who just love buying and wearing vintage? When is it too much? For me personally as we live simply and in a small environment off grid I reached a new challenge of ‘THE CULL’.

I physically don’t have the space to hoard masses, and actually now in life I simply don’t want to. I regularly go through my wardrobe and look at each time with a checklist A. How many times do I wear it? B. Does it actually suit me? C. Do I still like it? Don’t get me wrong I am not saying I have a tiny amount as I still have a wall of clothes, but a small wall, curated and manageable. The greatest thing I realised and stopped doing was buying something because I loved the look of it, the textile, the idea it gave me instead of the physical use. Sound familiar?? This is THE hardest obstacle to overcome with vintage, learning to let go. I have a one in one out theory, well it’s more like two/three/four in and one out, but whatever the number it’s good to keep in motion. Vintage is kept far far longer is peoples collections than ordinary high street fashion and staple pieces can be with you for decades. This is the amazing thing about it but also the downfall. We all change, the only constant in life is change. Our tastes alter with age and our wardrobe should reflect this. As much as it is lovely to keep the same items year in year out, have fun with it and don’t be afraid to have the cull…keep staple pieces and bring in fresh additions. Try to be discerning and keep on top of your passion instead of it owning and drowning you, and the best thing of all is to learn to pass it on. Let that beloved piece that has served you well but no longer quite fits in your life be part of someone else’s dream…the one thing they have been hunting for forever 🤍